That mascot wasn’t helping one bit (update)
Posted on January 26th, 2007 – 11:04 AMBy Michael Rand
Here’s a link to the video, if you’re curious. Thanks to Coyote, who is definitely With Leather. Great blog, great blog name.
Funny story from the NBA Development League: The Austin Toros’ mascot — Da Bull — almost cost his/her/its team the game the other night by prematurely celebrating. The lead to the story uses the fictional word “Bull-oney,” which should be a writing suspension in its own right. But here’s some of the rest from ABC12.com:
“The mascot, known as Da Bull, prematurely ran onto the court and hung from the rim with .4 seconds remaining, apparently to punctuate center Loren Woods’ breakaway dunk that gave the Toros a four-point lead over Colorado. While hanging from the rim, the Toros detailed in a news release Thursday, Da Bull collided with a Colorado player. At the point of contact, the mascot’s head, to his horror, fell to the floor. The Toros were assessed a technical foul. The 14ers’ Von Wafer made the free throw, but Rick Rickert missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the score as time expired. Da Bull was suspended for two games and assigned by the team to 50 hours of community service. A replacement mascot will perform in his absence.”
We really don’t need to provide any follow-up, but:
1. Loren Woods and Rick Rickert were involved. That’s outstanding.
2. Von Wafer.
3. We think any mascot that can hang on the rim should be commended, not punished. But that’s just us. Furthermore, some sort of mascot controversy should now be part of every NBA Developmental league game. Who’s in charge? David Stern? A deputy? Make it happen.
Rick Rickert, not capitalizing on Da Bull’s mistake.
37 Responses to "That mascot wasn’t helping one bit (update)"
Can you please vow that this will be the only Rick Rickert name drop that is ever muttered on this blog?
I have a fear of coming here some day and seeing a Rick Rickert category on the right side of the screen.
No promises. But it has been noted. No need to scare the kids.
I’m not sure what should surprise me more:
-Someone applauded and celebrated something that Loren Woods did.
-Rick Rickert missed a shot.
-The NBADL can actually find someone who is not only available, but willing, to be a “replacement mascot.” Is that anything like replacement players in baseball? Is he sacrificing a promising career by going against the regulars or some washed up hack trying to reclaim his glory days of mascoting (can that be a verb?)?
“Replacement mascot” is right up there with “fluffer intern” and “Iraqi strongman” as things you leave off your resumè.
I think that there is a bigger “homer” point of this story outside of Loren Woods and Ricky Rickert:
If the Toros can get a mascot that can dunk, why can’t the Wolves get a mascot that is worth two cents. We have one with a sole purpose of shooting tshirts in to the crowd with a launcher, while the Wally-look-a-like THROWS them just as far.
Is McHale in charge of selecting the mascot too?
Have you noticed Crunch doesn’t even have a sponsor on his jersey anymore? It’s just kind of blank and pathetic … that and he seems to make less appearances per game as the season goes on …
That begs the question, is there anyway we could look into that, the value of mascots? I mean, we have a PER rating for players, why can’t we have something that rates mascots. We could call it a MER (Mascot Efficiency Rating). Some of the factors could be appearances during games, embarassing stunts per appearance, crowd decible increase when they get a strike in “slingshot bowling” and other various categories that mascots find important.
If McHale was in charge of the mascots, we’d have traded Crunch, our 2009 first rounder and cash to Phoenix for the Trampoline Gorilla Dunking Guy.
(I assume the Phoenix mascot has a name, but that’s what I’ve always called him, and I like my name better.)
Perhaps the Chicago Bulls would be willing to throw in their mascot on a deal for KG?
I’m sure McSuck would jump at that one.
Nah, McHale’s not smart enough to recognize a deal that would bring in someone/thing as influential as the Gorilla.
Does the Bulls mascot have an expiring contract? Because I’d be willing to listen to that offer.
The necessity of mascots is to sporting events are what open, oozing sores about the nether region are to finding some action
Boot the mascot off for not being in the game paying attention, but 50 hours of community service ? What’s that about ? He didn’t hurt the community. He hurt the Toros. Like does Austin care ?
Randball readers, I think, will love this.
http://twinstown.blogspot.com.
Twins, Big Lebowski references, and general hilariousness.
Rocket is to Friday analgogies as Michael Rand is to $100 Chicken McNuggets. Good work, sir.
Rocket said: “The necessity of mascots is to sporting events are what open, oozing sores about the nether region are to finding some action.”
So you’re saying they’re just a minor deterant until the right venue is found?
“analgogies” is one of the funnier typos I’ve ever offered up.
Perhaps that sixth Pabst wasn’t the most advisable course of action last night.
Don’t ya think Rick Rickert wishes there was a rewind on life so he could go back to Lute at Arizona, play four years there, enter the NBA as a first-round choice and be playing in the NBA right now?
I think we should lobby for a new entry in the NBDL — a team made up solely of Kevin McHale’s botched draft picks.
PG: Will Avery
SG: Igor Rakocvic
SF: Ndudi Ebi
PF: Rick Rickert
C: Loren Woods
Bench: Gordon Malone, Blake Stepp, Louis Bullock, Andrae Patterson, Mark Davis, Jerome Allen
How did you forget Paul Grant?
Oh, yeah, and Paul Grant, too. Man, it’s hard trying to remember them all!
It’d be a lot better if you named guys who weren’t late second round draft picks because, really, what do you expect from pick 54? I’m not defending McHale, but by that standard every GM in the league has an NBDL team of “botched draft picks.”
The problem with McHale is that none of his second round picks have worked out, with the possible exception of Craig Smith this year. Just by dumb luck, he should have hit on more than one by now.
He didn’t forget Paul Grant.
He is the replacement mascot.
Sean’s list is to the ubiquitous suckitude of McHale’s tenure as a GM as Girls Gone Wild is to late-night television commercials.
Rocket, I had problems following your simile, however, I’m a big fan of it.
The unfortunate thing about using Paul Grant as your replacement mascot is that the costume isn’t big enough to fit his gangly frame and the glare of the arena lights against the exposed patches of his pasty white skin is most uncomfortable for the fan in attendance.
You guys are cracking me up. A week’s worth of COW-worthy comments.
tram-1978
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